The Sri Lankan government has drafted a Cyber Security Bill to protect vital information and essential services from cyber attacks, reports Daily News. The bill gives the government the power to establish a Cyber Security Agency, the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, and the National Cyber Security Operations Centre to protect “critical information infrastructure” necessary for the continuous delivery of essential services. The draft bill is awaiting cabinet approval and will be presented thereafter to the Parliament, according to the non-cabinet minister of Digital Infrastructure and Information Technology Ajith P Perera. He added that a public consultation on the bill will be held on June 6. Understanding the Cyber Security Bill Objective of the Bill The aims of the Bill are to (i) ensure the effective implementation of the National Cyber Security Strategy in Sri Lanka; (ii) prevent, mitigate and respond to cyber security threats and incidents effectively and efficiently; (iii) establish the Cyber Security Agency to strengthen the institutional framework for cyber security and (iv) protect the critical information infrastructure. In November 2018, the Government of Sri Lanka had introduced country's first Information and Cyber Security Strategy to be implemented over a period of five years, from 2019 to 2023. It was aimed at creating a trusted and resilient cyber security ecosystem. What is ‘Critical Information Infrastructure’? Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) includes all computers or computer systems located wholly or partly in Sri Lanka that are necessary for the continuous delivery of essential services for public health and…
